Lehigh Township police said teen was drunk at the time of double-fatal crash

A 17-year-old boy was driving drunk when he killed two people in a 2014 crash, Lehigh Township police said Thursday.

The teen is being charged as a juvenile in the Nov. 9 three-vehicle crash on Route 145. Police would not release the name of the teen, but previously said he lived in Bath.

Northampton County Assistant District Attorney Joseph Lupackino could not be reached for comment Thursday about why authorities did not charge the juvenile as an adult.

Police said the teen is being held in Northampton County Prison on unrelated charges.

The teen is charged with homicide by vehicle while under the influence, aggravated assault, aggravated assault by vehicle while under the influence, homicide by vehicle, involuntary manslaughter, reckless endangerment and various summary traffic offenses.

(Christopher Cross / SPECIAL TO THE MORNING CALL)

Police said because the teen is being charged as a juvenile, they would release no additional details about the investigation.

A passenger in the teen's car, 18-year-old Jacoby Hill, died at the scene of the crash. His last known address was in Whitehall Township.

Also killed in the crash was Jamie Crowley, 36, who was a rear-seat passenger in the car hit head-on by the teen's vehicle.

Police said the teen's truck initially hit the back of a pickup truck driven by Ronald Wechsler, 65, of Coplay. The teen's car then crossed into the southbound lane and crashed head-on into a car driven by 19-year-old Jeffrey Suranofsky, of Lehighton.

Police said two other passengers in Suranofsky's vehicle were injured. A 16-year-old girl had severe injuries and an infant girl had minor injuries, police said.